Rush Movie Review
On my way home from the theater I was wondering if I have to consider myself a Ron Howard fan boy. I like pretty much every movie he has done (even Gung Ho) and will go out of my way to see any movie he makes. I love Arrested Development (image from our TV show t shirt category) and even liked him in Happy Days. Does that qualify me as a fan boy, in the same sense that I am a Star Trek TOS fan boy?
In truth, no. A true fan boy will defend anything their fan obsession creates, and when the object of their desire excretes a turd they will sift desperately through it in hopes of finding a lost diamond ring or interesting tapeworm. It is to the point where he will take the least crappy part of the crap and elevate it to the level of still better than anything else out there. Get me waxing poetical about Star Trek and I will find parts of episodes even as bad as Spock’s Brain that make it worth watching (to be fair, that episode did have a large number of hot women in bikinis who controlled men with shock collars, an apt comparison to my personal dating life. Also the episode was a clear foreshadowing of the the industrialization of the human mind as seen by devices such as the Google Glass, and the recent advances in prosthetic limbs controlled by the human brain can find their roots in the computer/brain interface. When you consider those parts of it Spock’s Brain really is not that…oh God I’m doing it now!).
The thing that keeps me a Ron Howard fan and not a Ron Howard fan boy is if he did produce an awful movie I would not hesitate to tear through it like a chainsaw through a gingerbread house. Fortunately he has not given me the opportunity to date, and Rush continues that trend. Yes, I did enjoy it a great deal. It’s basically the F1/70’s version of Days of Thunder with a better story, but since I liked Days of Thunder a lot too I guess the premise works for me.
I have commented on the interesting fact of my personality (interesting to me, but since I’m such a fascinating figure you all will be interested too) that I have less than zero interest in watching football, baseball, golf or any sports whatsoever (sorry curling) yet love sports movies, and it looks like that holds true for racing as well. Sit me in front of the TV watching auto racing and I will doze off toot sweet (and to be honest if someone held a gun to my head (or promised me some kind of sexual experience) in order to get me to watch racing I am more inclined to go with stock car over F1) but I was fully engaged in the racing in this movie. I guess it’s because they edit out all the spitting, crotch scratching, talking, rolling around an oval track boring bits and just leave the great moments. I have an appreciation for all the work and effort competitors put in. If they could just stop wasting time in a huddle or cutting to beer commercials I might get engaged.
So Rush (a few spoilers in here, but honestly most of this I picked up from the trailers). This is the story of the great competition between Austrian racer Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl-Inglorious Bastards, the Bourne Ultimatum, Goodbye Lenin!) and British racer James Hunt (Chris Helmsworth-Thor, Red Dawn, Snow White and the Huntsman) back in the grand old year 1976. It starts off with a monolog from each racer telling how they got into racing and what they were about. Niki Lauda is effectively a professional racer, using science, good risk management, and discipline in order to win and stay alive while James Hunt is a wild party boy who relies on his natural talent and willingness to take insane risks to carry the day.
The movie then follows up their individual lives leading up the the world championship. James marries a super model in order to try to add some stability while Niki falls in love with a sweet girl who supports him in ways we all dream a partner would. They meet early in their careers and develop a strong dislike of each other. Going into the season of 1976 Niki pulls ahead in points while James struggles with a less optimal car (and some sabotage from Niki). Eventually they get to a very dangerous track and some bad weather. Niki wants to call the race off but James pushing it forward. There is a horrific wreck and Niki is badly burned.
He recovers at the hospital while James keeps winning races. Niki shows up with disfiguring scars for the last race, set to run in the rain. I won’t throw any more spoilers out there but there are some cool moments when Niki has a realization and twists the ending a bit.
The stars.
Very cool story, and well told. Two stars. Both Chris and Daniel are to be complemented for their portrayals. Excellent acting from both of them (and the support cast to be honest). One star. The camera work was exceptionally good, with amazing shots that filled the screen with visions while still retaining that 70’s feel. Two stars. The driving action was really engaging, and the stunts and accidents cool. One star. A couple nice minor nude scenes to keep the interest going. One star. The sets, clothes, and hair really set the era perfectly. There was no doubt what decade this thing was happening it. One star. Over all a great movie. Two stars. Total: ten stars.
The black holes.
I always feel weird doing this for directors I like and admire as I don’t feel qualified to offer criticism (for Lucas I order extra black holes. McG too) but really that is what you are here for and I have to go with what I feel. I thought the film was not really strong in establishing a tone. The movie started out and ended like a documentary but in the middle was a drama. I hate saying this but the story meandered around a lot, and did that thing where it seemed to end but then ran on for another 20 minutes and kind of shifted the focus of the entire film. It felt more like a series of five graphic novels, each semi-complete rather than one total story. Two black holes (two points there, really). The title of the film and everything I saw in the trailers implied that this film would be about insane F1 racers and what motivates them to go crazy, but really that was a tertiary subject barely touched upon. I think a lot could have been added had they explored the individual motivations more. One black hole. Total: three black holes.
A total of seven stars. Actually a great score and a movie well worth your time. Also worth seeing in a theater, although you will probably be OK watching it at home. Date movie? Hell yes. Manly enough to keep you interested but with a cool “true love” romance for Niki and a super hot dude in James to get her motor running if you know what I mean. This film is perfect for it. Bathroom break? A lot of the scenes of Niki recovering in the hospital could be missed without losing a lot. The meandering nature of the film means you can miss pretty much any part of the film except the big race at the end and probably pick up the story without too much effort.
Thanks for reading. More movies to see this weekend so look for something more tomorrow. Follow me on Twitter @Nerdkungfu. If you have comments for this movie or my review post them here and if you have off topic questions or suggestions feel free to email me at [email protected]. Have a great night.
Dave
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